Consolidating major figures and film movements into their decade of greatest influence or prestige, this nononsense book offers a generously illustrated, concise, and very readable history of fiction movies with an emphasis on American cinema. Eclectic in methodology and written in a plain English style that audiences can relate to, it examines the full scope of traditional film history and criticism, viewing film as both an art and an industry as it mirrors popular audience values, social ideologies, and historical epochs.